Baja Peninsula and Sea of Cortez Cruise

 One of the reasons this cruise itinerary worked out so well for us is that it ended in San Diego on the 22nd Dec, so we could spend Christmas with Karen and Aaron.  We had a lovely time, first getting ready for Christmas. Decorating the tree, wrapping presents, prepping and cooking Christmas dinner. Christmas day was nice and relaxed. In the morning, the four of us opened stockings and presents, and in the late afternoon/evening the Putnams came over to have Christmas dinner with us. Ian's spachcocked turkey was a great success, as was the rest of the dinner. We had other social occasions, with an open house at a friend of Karen's, and a brunch at Cheryl and Mikes that was a mini Burgundy Barge Cruise reunion with Julie, Terese and Maria Elena. Other than that we walked every day, in the neighbourhood, in Mission Bay, from Liberty Station, and at Torrey Pines. The weather has been nice, a sprinkle of rain the day we disembarked, then a mixture of sun and clouds with highs usu...

  We have 2 days at sea to take us north from Puerto Vallarta to San Diego. For 2 nights in a row the clocks are changed so we have an extra hour of sleep! The weather was hot and sunny the first day, somewhat cooler the second day with periods of sun, rain and even a rainbow. In the mornings Karen and I did our mile plus on the Promenade deck, then breakfast. On one day there was a special Mexican brunch. I went to the Pickleball classes both mornings. There were lectures on several topics, and many activities that I did not join in on like trivia, handicrafts, bingo, bridge. At lunchtime the lido buffet was always popular, as was the Dive-in burger station, and the taco bar. On days at sea the cover over the pool deck was usually partly closed so it was comfortable to sit out around the pool. (this is where we spent a lot of time). The last evening there was more of a swell, and some people were feeling it. On the whole though, it was a calm cruise. This ship holds around 1450 pa...

  We lost an hours sleep last night with the time change, and because we are going on a food tour, it seemed a good morning to have room service. Just coffee and a bit of yogurt and fruit as we know we'll be eating a lot today! Another beautiful morning. It will be hot later, but at 9am when we got off the ship it was about 23C. Taxi from inside the port are expensive and a set rate. We should have walked out to the street but feeling a bit lazy. (about 23USD) We got dropped off at the river and went for a short walk along the Malecon before going to meet our Vallarta Eats guide for our Taco and Street food tour. It was just the 4 of us on the tour, and our guide Alberto was excellent. He was born in P.V. and very knowledgeable about traditional foods and methods, and also about some of the history. We went to 10 different places, mostly family run, and mainly on back streets that I had never frequented.  We tried 5 different types of taco (bierra, carnitas, machaca, fish and ...

  After my very long day to the Copper Canyon yesterday, I was glad that we weren't arriving in Mazatlan until noon. I had a nice lazy morning, and it was another beautiful sunny day as we sailed along the approach into Mazatlan. Because of arriving from the north, we were able to see all the new development, so many more hotels and high rises than I remember. We sat by the pool and had a beer to wait for the first rush at the gangway to subside.  It's hot today, about 30C and a bit humid. Mazatlan port has a short open shuttle to take you to the port entrance, and from there you can follow the "blue line" into the historical centre. Aaron had picked out a shrimp restaurant along the way that we stopped at for lunch. We all had shrimp or shrimp and octopus cocktails. The sauce here is a very watery tomato, not the thick one we are used to at home. We had the plain so we could add our own spice. The other difference is the amount of shrimp! More than enough for a meal....

  The Copper Canyon excursion at almost $600.00USD is expensive and very long (17 hours). But to me is was worth it! For most people it's going to be your only opportunity to go there. The trip is very well organized and runs on a tight schedule. It's good to know in advance that you don't have much time at the canyon itself (about 2 hours). So though that's the highlight, the focus of the trip is more on the train ride. Meeting time to start was 4:15am. There was a 2 hour bus ride from Topolobampo to El Fuerte where we boarded the train. Holland America charters the train for it's excursion. On scheduled services it's not possible to go round-trip in one day. The train cars have very comfortable seats with lots of leg room. There are small outdoor vestibules between cars for taking pictures. It was light when the train departed, and we were given coffee as we got underway (lukewarm) then a snack box , then a breakfast burrito and yogurt. The second cup of coffe...

  A before dawn arrival in Guaymas. It's in a large bay so the seas were flat and no wind.The port itself is quite industrial. We are only here for part of a day, as we need to get to Topolobompo very early for the Copper Canyon excursion. There is a short (10 min) shuttle from the port into town. We first walked along the malacon. The bay is flat calm, and there are desert hills almost surrounding the bay. The town itself is quite small, and not much in the way of tourist attractions. More of a working town. The beach resort of San Carlos is where most of the hotels are. There is a lovely town square and church, and also the city hall. All are decorated for Christmas. The town had put on a music and dance performance on the Malecon which was fun to watch, as they weren't professionals, and some quite young. The setting of the town is lovely, with the backdrop of the hills of the Sonoran dessert. And the sail-away was spectacular. An early night for me as I'm off to the Cop...